ONONDAGA COUNTY – Getting to 100 coaching victories is a tangible way to measure success in a highly public and highly stressful setting.
That it happened to the boys basketball coaches of Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse on the exact same night, just one week before the two rivals would meet again, was a particularly rare and unique feat.
Ryan Blackwell achieved all of his coaching wins with the Warriors, including a 2018 state Class AA championship, and he appears to have Liverpool poised for another championship push this winter.
The 100th win came on Tuesday, against Binghamton (Section IV), who could not keep pace as the Warriors prevailed 97-69, steadily gaining a 45-28 lead by halftime and nearly reaching the century mark on the scoreboard, too.
Five Liverpool players scored in double figures, led by Andreo Ash, who had 20 points. Shontez Anderson stepped up with 17 points as Jacob Works got 15 points. Jah’Deuir Reese and Jaiden Reynolds had 10 points apiece as Luca Latocha and Jason Lawler joined Jacob Trombley earning six points.
Meanwhile, Kyle Martin’s 100 coaching wins were first attained at the college level, at Pace University, before he came to C-NS, but he reached the milestone when the Northstars defeated Nottingham 70-59.
Having not accomplished this when it lost to West Genesee Jan. 22, C-NS found itself in a tense, tight battle with the Bulldogs all through the game’s first three quarters, neither side able to get away.
Only in the final period did the Northstars, clinging to a 47-46 edge, finally gain control, and Luke Paragon had much to do with it, the senior recapturing his early-season form by pouring in 31 points.
Help came from Reece Congel, who had 12 points and Terrance Coppack, who got 11 points, as Notingham had four players score in double figures, but none have more than Denarius McCurty’s total of 12 points.
Now, on Friday night, C-NS sought to avenge a Dec. 23 defeat at Fayetteville-Manlius. Playing on its home court this time around, the Northstars took charge before halftime and went on to beat the Hornets 71-60.
Both sides put up plenty of points early, but it was C-NS maintaining the pace during a second quarter where it outscored F-M 21-10 to gain a 43-32 halftime advantage.
To fend off numerous Hornets charges in the second half, the Northstars needed Paragon to pour in 26 points, with Congel getting 13 points as Andrew Benedict and Robbie Siechen had 10 points apiece.
F-M, in defeat, got 23 points from Luke Davidson, but C-NS was able to contain Trevor Roe, holding him to nine points.
That same night, Liverpool took on Henninger and, winning its 11th in a row, handled the Black Knights 71-59.
Ten different Warriors got on the scoreboard, but it was Bruce Wingate leading the way with his 17 points, just ahead of Ash’s total of 15 points. Works had eight points, with Anderson and Jake Socker getting seven points apiece.
